In order to improve human performance, we must first describe it clearly. The Performance Chain represents the anatomy of performance and provides the tool to link what people do to what the organization wants to achieve.

Most programs focus on improving behavior, or how people do things (behavior). We keep the focus on what people produce (outputs). People doing things creates cost to the organization – what they produce creates value for the organization.

So human performance is behavior producing work outputs that are valuable because they contribute to business results. Work outputs are what the organization needs from its people to achieve its goals. They are the links between the behavior or activity of people and results.

By clarifying the relationship between activity and results, we align people with the mission and goals of the organization. For executives, managers, HR, training, and process improvement – anyone responsible for improving or changing performance — clarifying the Performance Chain increases the likelihood that their efforts will generate the highest return on their efforts.

As a foundation element of performance thinking, analyzing the Performance Chain can be learned and applied by anyone, at any level and in any function, to accelerate results and maximize employee engagement.